Dive Watch Releases / Articles

2009-09-26

FIRST IMPRESSIONThe Moray came packed in a black leatherette travel pouch embossed with the Benarus logo. Alongside the carefully factory sealed Moray was a chunky black rubber divers strap and a tool kit for strap changes.

I was very lucky to be one of the first to receive the Moray (even before Ralf himself got his) as Benarus were kind enough to have mine shipped direct from the factory. This was indicative of what an accommodating gentleman Ralf is, dealing with him has been most pleasurable.

AESTHETIC The watch itself with its lustrous, brushed stainless steel finish is simplistic yet charismatic; incorporating a lovely combination of vintage and modern elements. The vintage coming from its case and hand design. The Moray draws inspirations from dive watches of the Fifties. Its case highly reminiscent of my PAM 243 and other 1950 cased divers.

Its contemporary attributes such as a modern Japanese automatic movement, oversized crown, generously applied C3 lume, textured dial and chunky bracelet with signed butterfly clasp all reassuringly there as with many other modern divers.

INNOVATION Not so much innovation these days, as so many other watchmakers especially boutique brands are offering additional upgrades and modifications to give your precious timepiece a fresh look. Benarus offer a second divers bezel with black insert and elapsed time scale as well as a very neat Moray eel case back. I plan on getting both which will give my Moray a nice new feel.

MOVEMENT The Moray’s vintage case is home to an automatic Miyota 8215 with 21 jewels a power reserve of 45hrs and date function. It's, tough dependable and durable. The movement itself is non-hacking, which means that the second hand continues to sweep whilst setting the time. There's a little trick where you can actually gently back wind / bounce the crown in-order to stop the second hand for those that must set their watches to the exact second, I'm not one of those!

CASE Fabricated from 316L stainless steel the Moray's 44mm brushed case is capable of withstanding underwater pressure to a depth of 500 meters or 1640 feet. It supports a large domed sapphire crystal with anti-reflective coating on the inside.

The look and feel of the case is very agreeable, there's slight bulge to it. It's big and hefty, yet comfortable, sitting very well on the wrist owing to its downwardly angled 24mm lugs; the lug width of choice for a dive watch these days, allowing for a multitude convenient (screwed lugs) strap changes.

The Moray's 120 click bezel has a nice ratcheting sound. The action although a little deliberate is still smooth. There is absolutely no play in any direction.

Its massive signed crown bursts out from the case side at the 3 o'clock position a reassuring sign that although classic in its design this is not a dress-diver and is in fact a utilitarian diving tool. The crown is securely fixed by means of a thick and sturdy crown stem.

The Moray's inner workings are protected by a screw down case back. The case back itself engraved with Benarus' dolphin trinity logo.

WATER-RESISTANCE 500m or 1640ft. Whilst not extreme it's a good 300 meters deeper than the required depth rating for a divers watch. For me, 500m plus depth ratings are characteristic of watches that are built to last and withstand the rigors of an active lifestyle.

BRACELET The Moray's bracelet is the brick-link type, a personal favorite of mine. Clean, bright and ample in its design. It is closed by means of signed butterfly clasp and measures 24mm wide.

FUNCTIONALITY A 120 click rotatable divers bezel with an elapsed time scale, date function and an uncluttered black dial with large pronounced index type hands give all the functionality required of a divers watch.

DURABILITY Its 316L stainless steel case is built to withstand crushing pressures from the ocean's depths. The brushed finish of the case is easily maintained and all fittings and fixtures have been securely fastened by means of screws rather than pins.

LUME A good amount of C3 SuperLuminova has been applied to the dial. The lume is very evenly and generously applied making for a very high level of luminosity.

VALUE You get a hell of smart and attractive looking diver for your money. It's got the looks of a Panerai for a fraction of the price. At a little over 500USD dollars, the Moray is very fairly priced.

OVERALL IMPRESSIONClean, classic and comfortable. The Moray is my first diver from Benarus. I am VERY impressed with the overall look and quality of the watch. It’s a perfect illustration of how to combine the vintage with the modern to create a very stylish, functional and wearable dive watch. Thumbs up to Ralf for his creation and thumbs up to the Moray, it’s another great addition to my collection.